In 2016 fast fashion prevails; gender inequality is rife in the industry, and leading brands are constantly under fire for producing their collections in unsatisfactory conditions. If these are problems that regularly come to mind when you make purchases, then designer Pippa Small's ethically minded jewelry collection, Turquoise Mountain, should be on your shopping list.
During the Taliban regime (from 1996 until 2001) jewelry making was reportedly banned in Afghanistan, meaning that by the time the Taliban was overthrown, the majority of the country's traditional artisans had fled or were no longer practicing their craft.
Turquoise Mountain — "an internationally accredited vocational institute training a new generation of Afghan artisans in woodwork, calligraphy and miniature painting, ceramics, jewelry, and gem-cutting," according to its website — was subsequently established in 2006 under the direction of Prince Charles and the former President of Afghanistan in order to reintroduce these skills and offer jobs to young people in a country with a bleak future, ripped apart by the regime.
Small, who has been working with the organization since 2008, has finally joined forces for a Kabul-based diffusion line that channels classic Afghan designs, and whose proceeds are made to help create and sustain jobs within the country's jewelry-making industry — and she's tapped Gurls Talk founder, model, and feminist Adwoa Aboah as its ambassador.
"When I was approached to be [the face of] Pippa Small's Turquoise Mountain [collection], I didn’t even need to think about it before accepting," Adwoa tells Refinery29. "It’s incredible what Turquoise Mountain is doing in Afghanistan — not only does it help create jobs, boost the economy, and promote the arts, but it is empowering women, a cause very close to my own heart through my Gurls Talk initiative. In a world where we are still struggling for gender equality, it is awe-inspiring to see the work that Pippa Small and Turquoise Mountain are doing to combat the gender divide in Afghanistan, by encouraging women to enter the workshop and earn for themselves — all while crafting a truly beautiful collection of jewelry."
Small opens up ahead with images from the collection and the remarkable story behind it.
What was the starting point in launching the Kabul-based diffusion line?
"I have been working with Turquoise Mountain, a charity that has created a school of traditional craft in Kabul, since 2008, teaching a bit, and designing collections a few times a year. However, two years ago, I realized that over the years, a lot has changed. Every year, a fresh generation of students graduate and are looking for work. More women and girls were joining the workshop, so we needed to create a strong and sustainable relationship to support a growing group of artisans and their families.
"It's also clear that as the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, it is more crucial that young men and women have jobs and hope for a better future. The school and workshop are like a microcosm of a more harmonious, creative, and wonderful environment with men and women working together and creating together."
Photographed by Tierney Gearon.
Do you think the fashion and jewelry industries could do more to create ethical and environmentally friendly products to change the fast-paced, disposable nature of consumerism?
"I think there is a slow shift in the consciousness of shoppers and more of an interest in the providence of things — who, how, and where things are made — but it is small, and the tide of cheap, disposable fashion is still strong. The move to less and more-considered shopping is essential. We simply cannot continue at this rate.
"Jewelry is an interesting area when it comes to ethical products, since the jewelry industry has a longtime reputation of exploitation, violence, and environmental destruction around mining. However, the tide is turning; there are now international standards in place for responsible mining, and there are alternatives with fair-trade gold in the market and sustainably sourced gems.
"In working to empower and provide jobs through jewelry in communities that are very much in need, we can now see small-scale jewelry production having positive effects. We still need to shout loudly about this, though, as I feel people are still overall very unaware of the realities of the jewelry industry and the responsible alternatives available."
Photographed by Tierney Gearon.
What was the inspiration for this collection specifically, and why was Adwoa the perfect fit?
"The inspiration for this collection was the Kuchi nomads of Afghanistan. When I first started to go to Kabul, one of the guards where I was staying told me that I looked like a Kuchi woman, because I wore so many jangling necklaces and bracelets and brightly colored cloths. I was very flattered when I finally saw some nomad women who were passing through the city, with their faces uncovered and their swaying full skirts, and rings on their fingers, and long silver earrings. They looked free and confident and defiant. So, this collection was inspired by the ladies of the Kuchi tribe, who still follow their vast herds of sheep and goats up into the mountains for grazing.
"Adwoa seemed a perfect fit because she is brave, speaks out, and is defiant, too. In founding Gurl Talk, she has created a platform for girls to discuss their vulnerabilities — where their self-esteem might be low, or their voice unheard, or concerns over body image and representation in the media. All of these are such vital topics for young girls to have a role model who is honest and open and who has suffered demons herself and is doing her best to overcome them."
Photographed by Tierney Gearon.
Would you say the Pippa Small woman is more discerning when it comes to the story behind the pieces she invests in?
"Our women are bold, creative, thoughtful, and drawn to pieces of jewelry that have stories and are totally individual. They love the rough and organic feel, and want to know where the items come from, and who has made them. There is such a journey in each piece of jewelry, and a personal connection to be made in knowing the story between women.
"I shall never forget working in Mombasa in Kenya with a group of physically disabled women who were making jewelry out of recycled scrap metal. I was working with a woman who only had the use of one hand; the rest of her limbs were paralyzed. As she sat in a homemade wheelchair, made from assembled bits of found parts, she put on the necklace we were making of brass flowers and exclaimed, 'Don't I look beautiful in this?' She truly did, and it so reminded me that women, jewelry, and beauty are all caught in a delightful universal and timeless tangle.
"With our Turquoise Mountain collection, each piece is handmade by an Afghan man or woman who may be risking a great deal to have a job, to be leaving the house to go out and work — a job that gives her financial independence and enables her to contribute to the family's income, that allows her to be creative, to work with a team, and follow a dream. The stones from the collection are all sourced in Afghanistan and bring with them another story."
Photographed by Tierney Gearon.
You've been in the business for 20 years. How would you like to continue to see your business grow?
"I would love to see the business grow with more sustainable projects, working with craftspeople around the world who have traditions and skills that are in danger of being lost, of people who desperately need jobs and income, where the possibility of working in a safe and creative field is so much better than other options open to them like prostitution or being forced to migrate to find work. I would love to open more shops and see the work of so many talented people selling all over the world. I would also love to collaborate with other brands in order to let the message of ethical jewelry reach other audiences and other markets — it’s also always a wonderful aesthetic exercise collaborating with other designers."
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